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December 31 |
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Anthony Hopkins'
Birthday
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Anthony Hopkins's image is indelibly imprinted in
the minds of millions as Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter. He first
played the iconic role in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
for which he won an Oscar. He only appears on screen for little
over sixteen minutes in the film - the record for shortest lead performance
to win an Oscar. Anthony went on to reprise his role as Lecter twice
(Hannibal in 2001 and Red Dragon in 2002). His original portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs has been labeled by the American
Film Institute as the number-one film villain. Many years later, Anthony had a brief fling with Martha Stewart who broke off the relationship because she allegedly couldn't separate him from his Hannibal Lecter character. Martha told radio shock-jock Howard Stern in 2006, "Oh, I loved him, but he was... scary. I was going to invite him up to Maine; I have this beautiful home in Maine... but then I reconsidered because I saw that movie again. Do you want someone eating your brain while you are sitting in your beautiful dining room in Maine?" Anthony began his acting career in Wales. After a few years, he moved to London and was invited by Laurence Olivier to join the National Theatre. He made his film debut in The Lion in Winter (1968). In 1987, he was awarded with the Commander of the order of the British Empire, and he was knighted In 1993. Anthony subsequently moved to the United States and became a US citizen . Some of his other notable films include The Elephant Man (1980), Howard's End (1992), The Remains of the Day (1993) for which he was was nominated for the Oscar), and Nixon (1995) for which he was also nominated for an Oscar. However, it was his performance in Silence of the Lambs for which he will always be remembered and for his famous line,. "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti." |
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So what better
way to celebrate
Anthony's birthday than
viewing
The Silence of the Lambs
while munching
on some fava beans?
However, we have substituted pancetta for the liver since liver, fava beans,
and wine all contain a substance called tyramine, which can kill
you if you' are also taking a certain class of antidepressant drugs known
monoamine oxidase (MAO)
inhibitors. They are otherwise harmless. Fava beans are also rich in L-dopa
which is used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Some
people also use fava beans as a natural alternative to ED drugs like Viagra,
but there is no medical evidence to support this dietary decision.
There is a long history of concern over fava beans The 6th century
B.C. philosopher Pythagoras condemned the fava bean and would not let his
followers eat it. It was thought that they contained the souls of the dead. |
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Ingredients |
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4 ounces pancetta 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 pounds unshelled young fresh fava beans (about 3 cups shelled beans) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil |
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped |
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| Instructions | ||||
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!. Shell the beans and wash in cold water. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the onion in the oil until it becomes translucent, then add the pancetta and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 5 minutes 3. Add water and lemon juice. Simmer, covered, on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until tender and the last of the lemon water has evaporated, 4 Add salt and pepper to taste, |
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| Serves 4 |
© 2012 Gordon Nary and Tyler Stokes
